The Dean

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai...ve-387440.html

co durham boy

Might have something to do with the 2 billion dollars they owe the Japanese construction consortium that built it.......

Millhouse

This is no surprise really.

No one expects rail / metro systems to ever pay back their capital costs but it is normally reasonable to assume that they will cover their operating costs. I doubt that the fares on the metro even cover the AC bills.

co durham boy

Or the Calfskin napa seats in Gold Class........

Blue Cat

and the fact they chose that consortium ... expatriate Japanese workers who are not paid whilst on an expat job get paid by the Japanese Government

The Dean

I wasn't questioning the reason - I was however implying that this is a very poor, and very public, way of saying 'we're still in trouble'.............

Ethos83

Everyone knows that Dubai has massive debts although it's not really talked about.

Other than the snail's pace in completing certain roadway projects I'm not aware of any government cutbacks personally affecting me.

But I do wonder - what revenues does the city have? What does it collect in "taxes" and fees? All the speeding tickets can't be enough to pay for the lavish subsidies the local receive and keep the roads free of sand and the landscaping watered?

If cuts are made to the metro, what other cuts are being implemented?

Boomhauer

So what is the occupancy like for the Metro? Is it full or near full at peak times? Do the locals use it in significant numbers?

The Dean

Always full in lambs-to-the-slaughterhouse class; usually seats available in Gold......

Hello.Kitty

I can't say about peak time - I've only travelled then once and it was standing room only, but I use it at random points during the day and I'd say 50-80% of the seats are generally filled.

Such a shame though... it's a really lovely system, but yes, the fares are so small it can't be viable - it costs me 2.30 to get from JLT to MotE one way. I've also noticed that they don't/ can't A/C the entrances - it's like an oven at lunchtime on a sunny day, even now!

Not sure if I like the cuts in maintenance programmes either...

co durham boy

Serco have the contract to run , operate and maintain the Dubai Metro over a set contract period.
I have heard that Serco are at odds with the R.T.A on future openings and proposed cutbacks of services and most importantly how to implement them.
Serco is a British firm that runs and operates service transport systems all over the world , basically an outsourcing alternative.

I travelled on the Metro 2 weeks ago and without doubt it's a well managed transport system but the first thing that hits you is it's too well managed , the amount of staff working stations is phenomenal for a public transport system and unsustainable in the current climate.

If you look at the original masterplan of this project with the other proposed lines it bears no comparison to what you have today.
The cost of this project was overbudget by around 3 billion dollars i think . It's basically a money issue , the R.T.A do not have any or what they do have they have to spread evenly or on a priority basis.

Its a shame as i think it really is one of Dubai's plus points apart from costing 3 times too much and not one station opening on time but hey you can't have everything...!

Millhouse

assuming they are being paid...!

Millhouse

you travel gold?

I must admit, I quite like travelling on it - even in the packed end it's ok - nothing like the tube.

co durham boy

That's quite a real possibility , it will be the usual scenario of ' we don't need them anymore ' we can do it ourselves and they can take a 60% haircut on the contract price.

Norm_uk

The number of staff is insane...however I've seen it when it's busy and the crowds of people from the Sub-Continent pushing and shoving everyone in sight to get through the gates is enough to warrant proper security/policing - not the sort of image Dubai needs to project really.

I been on it a few times and some of the stations are fantastic (like MoE). It's a shame they didn't focus on a passenger and cargo rail line to Abu Dhabi first to offset traffic between the emirates which is getting worse, rather than lots of stations close to each other in a city that can't afford it.

N.